Mount Vernon Councilman Andre Wallace is suing the city Board of Water Supply to roll back rate increases and force the water department to turn money over to the city Comptroller and share financial information with the City Council.

Wallace's petition, filed in Westchester County Court Thursday, also seeks to block the water department from spending money for other areas of city government.

"We're trying to lessen the burden on the seniors, on taxpayers and we can't sit back and take our time while they continue to operate the way they are," Wallace said.

The Board of Water Supply is a quasi-independent city agency that maintains the city's water system and bills for water use. It is run by a commissioner appointed by Mayor Richard Thomas.

The petition names Water Commissioner Benjamin Marable, Superintendent John Arena and a bookkeeper for the water department.

Marable, a retired city building inspector who was appointed to the water job last year, was not in the office Thursday morning and did not return a reporter's phone call. Arena also did not respond to requests for comment.

The mayor's chief of staff and press office also did not immediately respond to questions about Wallace's lawsuit.

Wallace cites a 13 percent increase in the rate property owners are charged quarterly for "overage" use above the base allowance, the rate for which also increased. The increases were not approved by the City Council, as the city charter requires, Wallace contends.

The councilman said that, since last year, he has received none of the information he has sought related to spending by the water department.

He contends that the water department is required to return excess money to the city Comptroller's office but that no money has been turned over since Thomas took office in January 2016.

In September, Wallace, Councilman Marcus Griffith and Councilwoman Delia Farquharson called for an investigation as they cited cases where property owners had received exorbitant bills for water usage far above what was likely, especially when water consumption has remained steady.

Wallace accused the mayor of using water department money as a "slush fund" for other city expenses.

Last year, the water department purchased at least 10 large-screen televisions, one of which was given to the Doles Senior Center and others were hung in City Hall outside the clerk's office and the buildings department.

Marable at the time would not answer questions about why water funds were used for the televisions.

Council President Lisa Copeland said she wasn't sure why Wallace was "pre-empting" the council, which intends to address concerns about the water department at its meeting next week.

Asked why he was suing the water department without his colleagues, Thomas said they shared his concerns but wanted to attack the problem through subpoenas to have water department employees testify before the council. He said he did not expect the employees would appear and the matter would end up in court anyway.